The book "The Dark Tower", reviews of which are mostly positive, is one of the most famous works of the recognized master of science fiction genre Stephen King. This is a whole series of novels that was written at the intersection of horror, fantasy and science fiction. This series talks about the adventures of the shooter Roland Diskein, who is looking for the Dark Tower.
Stephen King cycle
One of the most famous works of Stephen King - the book "The Dark Tower". Reviews of the novels are enthusiastic among most readers. It is believed that the American science fiction was inspired by Robert Browning 's poem entitled "Childe-Roland reached the Dark Tower", as well as the work of Thomas Eliot "Bad Land".
At the center of this cycle of novels is a member of the mysterious and ancient order of the shooters of Roland. He sets off on a journey alone, and then a group of loyal friends joins him. They make their way through the post-apocalyptic world that resembles America in the days of the Wild West. The main difference is that in this reality there is also magic.
The characters in this cycle of novels are constantly moving between worlds and different time periods. Their main goal is to reach the center of all worlds, in which the Dark Tower is located. The protagonist is about to go up to her top floor to find out who runs the show. Then, perhaps, it will be possible to restore order throughout the world.
Shooter
Shooter is the first novel in the Dark Tower book series. In reviews, critics noted that this is a successful work on how the shooter Roland crosses a huge desert.
He is trying to catch up with a powerful magician. This is a man dressed in black. He can open the way to Roland’s main goal, the Dark Tower. The cycle of books in reviews is highly characterized, including due to the fact that the first work in this series was so successful.
In the desert, Roland meets his first fellow traveler - this is boy Jake. He mysteriously entered the world of Roland from a world that is almost identical to ours. Then they hit the road together.
King worked on the novel for ten years, starting to write it back in 1970. Initially, "Shooter" appeared in science fiction magazines as separate stories. A separate edition in 1982 appeared the book "The Dark Tower" by Stephen King. She immediately earned mostly positive reviews.
"Extraction of three"
In 1987, another novel of this cycle, entitled "Extracting Three." It begins in the same place where the Shooter ended, just seven hours later. Roland lies almost without strength on the seashore. Literally, he had just been attacked by a lobster-like creature. In battle, the shooter lost three fingers, and also received blood poisoning. But he managed to topple the creature.
The writer wrote this novel five years after the release of the first book. This is a fairly large time frame for fans of the Stephen King Dark Tower book cycle. Reviews of the first work were so good that many expected the imminent release of a new book. However, this does not happen. According to biographers, the reason was the ambiguous attitude of the author towards the main character - Roland himself. It is believed that King did not like him because of his extreme cruelty, combined with heroism. Therefore, he was thinking about how to remake it.
"Badlands"
Many reviews of King’s Dark Tower book came after the third novel, Badlands, appeared. This book was published by the world famous science fiction writer in 1991.
Fans of the book "The Dark Tower" in the reviews noted that in this novel, the author's writing talent manifested itself in all its glory. It makes the reader be amazed at every step. Adventures and plot twists just rush at a supersonic speed. Heroes find themselves in stinky dungeons, then on a world dump, then in a dead city, then in a dusty post-apocalyptic world. Moreover, this does not look like a mindless mishmash, as it might seem at first glance.
Readers admit that their narrative is mesmerizing like a boa constrictor, which captures the victim in its tight tight ring.
"Sorcerer and crystal"
King decided not to stop there and continue the Dark Tower cycle. The books were published in order in the following sequence: “The Sorcerer and the Crystal,” “The Wolves of Kali,” “The Song of Suzanne,” “The Dark Tower” and “The Wind Through the Keyhole”.
The book "The Sorcerer and the Crystal" appeared in 1997. It turns out that train travelers crossed the gap in reality and ended up in a world that is almost similar to ours. Only the entire population died due to the pandemic. A strain of influenza virus caused her.
Roland recalls his youth. He recalls how, with his old friends, he visited the town of Hambry, in which he made an inventory of the property, and eventually met with the charming Susan Delgado. However, their love was doomed. Due to the machinations of the witches, Ria Susan was burned at the stake. Roland was left alone.
"Wolves Kali"
In 2003, in the novel “Wolves of Kali,” King takes Roland to a place called Kalya. In it, for several generations of mysterious robbers, putting on wolf masks, kidnap half of all children who are born and hide in darkness.
Interestingly, the children are coming back soon, but they are not at all like themselves. They turn them into brainless freaks, which in these places are called runes. Residents have long been unhappy with this state of affairs. And here the arrows come to their aid.
Susanna, meanwhile, is pregnant. But her child is not quite ordinary. In addition, a fierce struggle for the right to possess the body begins in her mind.
Roland also has problems. First of all, with health. He is overcome by arthritis, which literally devours the shooter's joints.
The key role is played by the story of Father Callaghan, who comes to Calle after wanderings around the world. In more detail, his story is described in the novel "The Lot".
"Suzanne's Song"
The sixth novel from this cycles, Stephen King released in 2004. It was called Suzanne's Song.
It turns out that control over the body of Suzanne was captured by nobody unknown Mia. She is a servant of the Scarlet King. In this work, a character appears named Stephen King from the Key World, whom Roland meets.
The writer begins to actively communicate with his characters. The way Roland and other heroes relate to King, his author, is more like worshiping a deity. However, they are still decided on risky acts. For example, Roland hypnotizes King to find out his role in the whole story. Being in a trance, King tells who he hates in this series.
At the end of the novel are excerpts from the diary of the writer, in which he tells in detail how this series of books was created. At the very end there is a newspaper article stating that King was shot down in 1999 during a walk and died suddenly.
"Dark tower"
In 2004, another King’s book, The Dark Tower, was released. It is noteworthy that she appeared on store shelves on the writer's birthday.
In it, Roland and his associates go to the finish line, despite the fact that they are literally on the heels of the son of the Scarlet King. Suzanne tries to kill Morder, but she only succeeds in injuring him. At this time, Roland and Eddie find themselves in the world in which their author lives - Stephen King himself.
In Thunderklepe, the shooters manage to reunite and meet with Ted Brottingen. It is there that the Destroyers live, the main purpose of which is the destruction of the Rays. With great difficulty, the shooters manage to stop the collapse of the penultimate Ray. Roland goes alone to the Dark Tower. Everything happens exactly as he saw it in his dreams. On the way, he loses all his friends, defeats Morder, overcomes all obstacles and still gets to the Dark Tower.
Once in it, he begins to understand that the Tower itself tells him its own story. Each of the rooms into which it enters corresponds to some stage of Strelka's life.
At the very top of the Tower is a room with the inscription "Roland" on the door. Once in it, the main character falls into the desert, with which this cycle began. He comes to the realization that he has come this way hundreds of times already. He turns to the Tower with a request to show mercy to him. But the Tower is adamant. She pushes Roland and erases all his memories.
The events of the novel cycle loop.
"Wind through the keyhole"
In 2012, the latest novel of this cycle is released, entitled "Wind Through the Keyhole". The book was published after the release of the entire series. Moreover, actions in it occur between the fourth and fifth parts of the cycle.
The novel has three storylines. They are dedicated to the journey of the shooter Roland and his companions, who are forced to stop in an abandoned city in order to escape from a deadly storm.